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Description
"Renee! Come down here now!" Alan called from downstairs. His voice was on edge, upset and worried. Not the kind of thing you wanted to hear on a Saturday morning. It was nearly seven o'clock, too early for someone
(Please God don't let him have been found don't let me be in trouble.)
To be calling to call her to work.
"What is it, Dad?" The alien asked, stretching her back and clawing at the sheets in an attempt to fully wake up.
"It's just important. Come down, please!" His voice cracked. That tore it; she threw on a pair of sweatpants under her gown and ran down the stairs.
~~~~
She took the phone and hugged it between her shoulder and ear. "Yes?"
"Oh, Renee thank God your home!" Kindle's mother bulleted out the words.
"Where else would I be?" Renee laughed silently, trying to shake the panicked tone Mrs. Andromeda had.
"Well, dear, listen." The dog-like woman took a ragged breath. Her voice wavered over the telephone. "Last night Garth was killed. Kindle ran off after I told him, and he was just gone! If you can find him, please do. Renee dear, you're the only one I've ever met who can talk sense into Kindle here on earth. Maybe you could get him to come home." The rattling voice broke into a mournful howl, reminding the girl all too much of the one she had imagined during Nos-4-a2's stories.
"I'm on it Mrs. Andromeda. If I can, I'll bring Kindle home." She hung up on the bawling woman. This was not good, not good at all. Kindle's father was a commander at Star Command, until the war between their planets began that is. Garth Andromeda had been extremely influential to his son until the day he left with the militia, constantly warning the child about how dangerous a Zephyrite could be. Yet the commander was not all wrong with his accusations of terror by Renee's feline people. He had explained how dangerous they could be- but that you should only observe until they were proven guilty.
He was highly appreciated by all those under him on the chain of command, including Renee's researcher father. They had shared drinks from time to time close to home in the Zeta quadrant, home to Zephyr, Cryos, Zeta-Betas 1-9, and the ever infamous Canis Lunis. Unknowingly Renee let a shiver run down her spine. That damn robot sure had her spooked- right to the tip of her striped tail. Of course, being so nearby, her father had been stationed on Canis Lunis before the war, before they moved to Tennessee. She too had visited the barren and haunted- looking planet. Apparently the haunt of her nightmares had been there, and had gotten ahold of Ty Parsec.
But never mind that now, Kindle had run away. His father had been killed in action, undoubtedly by one of the talented Zephyr marksmen. It sickened her, someone of her own race coldheartedly murdering her friend's father. No wonder Kindle was always on edge around her. They were at war, no? And yet she had felt for the last eight years that they were beyond the walls of war, outside the battle arena, and beyond harm's way. Apparently not. Now it was personal, and it scared Renee deeply.
Alan put a hand on his daughter's shoulder, suddenly ending to her momentary thoughts. "Maybe I should come with you while you look for the poor boy. Bring Alexia and Jonah too, if you can recruit them. Kindle might be-"
"Unstable, dad, and yes I know." She said, too harshly. "I'll call them up, but don't expect much progress. Kindle can really travel when he puts his mind too it." Renee glanced out the window, hoping her friend was ok.
~~~~
Kindle curled himself into a ball as small as he could, which wasn't very small considering his eight-foot height. This could not be happening. Garth couldn't be gone. His father couldn't die- or at least shouldn't. Who to blame, who to blame? He didn't know. It was all so fast, hitting the boy in the stomach hard. He had run, right? Where was he? (Don't know- never know anymore.) He shook his head, banging it painfully against the inside of a play pipe he had taken refuge in at school after running. (There was so much running. Nothing makes sense.)
Kindle's mind was a horrid jumble. As a pup he had been fine, grown up fine, but lately- the last four or five years, to be exact- there was something wrong inside. He always felt a tiny throbbing headache inside. A screeching birdlike hiss was always behind his ears, overlapping sound. Reasonable thinking was going to get difficult, he knew, as the pain grew. Hell, it was already getting eaten away by the pain- the constant pain. Just yesterday he had put a paw to his aching ears and howled until his mother came up, flustered. Finally after she had left he had drawn his paw away and found the pad soaked with blood. Apparently it had stopped, so he didn't say a word. This was not the first time blood had come pouring from his head. Once it had gone on as a slow leak for more than an hour, but almost as soon as he decided to tell his mother Kindle had forgotten and the blood flow had ceased.
Now he felt the blood begin to leak again, hot droplets running down his muzzle. The salty liquid suddenly became a flavor on his lips. His large black nose was running blood instead of snot now. Tears ran across his cheeks alongside the red coagulated substance. They stuck, morphing his face into that of a monster. Garth was gone. That lone thought dominated his mind with grief. He had sat there, not really comprehending, all night without sleep. Sunlight was now seeping through the ends of the large plastic tube, striking like knives into Kindle's eyes. He scurried deeper into the tunnel, finding comfort in the darkness.
~~~~
Renee had easily enlisted Jonah, he wasn't due to go to Disneyworld for another week (The Park was just getting more famous- imagineering has advanced so far) but Alexia was still asleep and they had decided to leave her. "What's going on again? I'm sorry." The boy asked, holding Renee's hand worriedly.
"His father died last night. I don't think he's told you- but his dad was a commander. Our planets were at war and… a Zephyr soldier shot him down." Her hand squeezed protectively into his.
He pulled back, then rested again and hugged her back. "We're going to find him and everything will be fine." He reassured her, not being positive himself.
"But our planets are at war. Our folks are afraid… afraid he might take it out on me or dad."
"What?" Jonah stopped, surprised. "Why would he do that?"
"Jonah, have you not been paying attention?" Renee demanded hastily. "You see how he looks at me- he was never comfortable with me around. Zephyr and Cryos have been at war for a long time. Longer than we've lived here even."
"I don't mean I didn't notice." Jonah seemed to be taken aback. "I always saw the way he looked at you. I never thought much of it though." He was sincere now.
"I'm sorry." Renee suddenly hugged him. "I'm scared though. For Kindle."
"And yourself?"
"Yeah… Myself." She looked up into his eyes, her own sparkling magnificently jade green. Her fur was warm and soft, striped black. Color spots of bluish orange ran like flowers around her irises. Jonah hugged her back.
~~~~
Kindle continued to stare out the end of the tube, focusing everything he had on the light. Something like a foot swam in front of it and he gasped. A paw. Sharpshooters. The word suddenly darted across his mind. They got Dad and now they're here they're here and they probably got mom and they're after me now. He swallowed and drew back quietly.
As if reading the alien's thoughts, the foot moved away. It was replaced by a face- but a familiar one, not helmeted with a plasma shield. Renee looked at him happily, but froze. His face was awash with blood and snot and runners of dried salt tears. He smiled trustingly, and then frowned. Something familiar stood before him, but something unwanted. The idea- the mere sight of Renee blew a cork off a fresh bottle of fury in his head. "Kindle! There you are!" She smiled charitably, as much as she wanted to be sick.
"Yeah. I'm here." He mumbled licking at his muzzle and listening to the angry wasp hum in his ears. It roared louder than ever, and a fresh bout of blood ran onto his cheeks. There wasn't much, but he felt dizzy.
"Come on out! I'm so sorry about what happened." Her voice was soft.
Kindle wormed out of the plastic tube onto the woodchip covered ground and stood his full height over his companions. Without warning he hunched over and vomited all over the ground. "Sorry…" He said, not meaning it.
"What happened to you?" Jonah asked. After what Renee had told him, he wasn't so sure if the blood on Kindle was his own or not.
"I… I cut my ears getting into the pipe. It hurt- but I'm okay. You know, head wounds." The Cryosian smiled wanly, again not meaning it. They didn't need to know, he didn't need to go to the hospital, he could handle this. Without the Zephyr girl's help.

Description
"Renee! Come down here now!" Alan called from downstairs. His voice was on edge, upset and worried. Not the kind of thing you wanted to hear on a Saturday morning. It was nearly seven o'clock, too early for someone
(Please God don't let him have been found don't let me be in trouble.)
To be calling to call her to work.
"What is it, Dad?" The alien asked, stretching her back and clawing at the sheets in an attempt to fully wake up.
"It's just important. Come down, please!" His voice cracked. That tore it; she threw on a pair of sweatpants under her gown and ran down the stairs.
~~~~
She took the phone and hugged it between her shoulder and ear. "Yes?"
"Oh, Renee thank God your home!" Kindle's mother bulleted out the words.
"Where else would I be?" Renee laughed silently, trying to shake the panicked tone Mrs. Andromeda had.
"Well, dear, listen." The dog-like woman took a ragged breath. Her voice wavered over the telephone. "Last night Garth was killed. Kindle ran off after I told him, and he was just gone! If you can find him, please do. Renee dear, you're the only one I've ever met who can talk sense into Kindle here on earth. Maybe you could get him to come home." The rattling voice broke into a mournful howl, reminding the girl all too much of the one she had imagined during Nos-4-a2's stories.
"I'm on it Mrs. Andromeda. If I can, I'll bring Kindle home." She hung up on the bawling woman. This was not good, not good at all. Kindle's father was a commander at Star Command, until the war between their planets began that is. Garth Andromeda had been extremely influential to his son until the day he left with the militia, constantly warning the child about how dangerous a Zephyrite could be. Yet the commander was not all wrong with his accusations of terror by Renee's feline people. He had explained how dangerous they could be- but that you should only observe until they were proven guilty.
He was highly appreciated by all those under him on the chain of command, including Renee's researcher father. They had shared drinks from time to time close to home in the Zeta quadrant, home to Zephyr, Cryos, Zeta-Betas 1-9, and the ever infamous Canis Lunis. Unknowingly Renee let a shiver run down her spine. That damn robot sure had her spooked- right to the tip of her striped tail. Of course, being so nearby, her father had been stationed on Canis Lunis before the war, before they moved to Tennessee. She too had visited the barren and haunted- looking planet. Apparently the haunt of her nightmares had been there, and had gotten ahold of Ty Parsec.
But never mind that now, Kindle had run away. His father had been killed in action, undoubtedly by one of the talented Zephyr marksmen. It sickened her, someone of her own race coldheartedly murdering her friend's father. No wonder Kindle was always on edge around her. They were at war, no? And yet she had felt for the last eight years that they were beyond the walls of war, outside the battle arena, and beyond harm's way. Apparently not. Now it was personal, and it scared Renee deeply.
Alan put a hand on his daughter's shoulder, suddenly ending to her momentary thoughts. "Maybe I should come with you while you look for the poor boy. Bring Alexia and Jonah too, if you can recruit them. Kindle might be-"
"Unstable, dad, and yes I know." She said, too harshly. "I'll call them up, but don't expect much progress. Kindle can really travel when he puts his mind too it." Renee glanced out the window, hoping her friend was ok.
~~~~
Kindle curled himself into a ball as small as he could, which wasn't very small considering his eight-foot height. This could not be happening. Garth couldn't be gone. His father couldn't die- or at least shouldn't. Who to blame, who to blame? He didn't know. It was all so fast, hitting the boy in the stomach hard. He had run, right? Where was he? (Don't know- never know anymore.) He shook his head, banging it painfully against the inside of a play pipe he had taken refuge in at school after running. (There was so much running. Nothing makes sense.)
Kindle's mind was a horrid jumble. As a pup he had been fine, grown up fine, but lately- the last four or five years, to be exact- there was something wrong inside. He always felt a tiny throbbing headache inside. A screeching birdlike hiss was always behind his ears, overlapping sound. Reasonable thinking was going to get difficult, he knew, as the pain grew. Hell, it was already getting eaten away by the pain- the constant pain. Just yesterday he had put a paw to his aching ears and howled until his mother came up, flustered. Finally after she had left he had drawn his paw away and found the pad soaked with blood. Apparently it had stopped, so he didn't say a word. This was not the first time blood had come pouring from his head. Once it had gone on as a slow leak for more than an hour, but almost as soon as he decided to tell his mother Kindle had forgotten and the blood flow had ceased.
Now he felt the blood begin to leak again, hot droplets running down his muzzle. The salty liquid suddenly became a flavor on his lips. His large black nose was running blood instead of snot now. Tears ran across his cheeks alongside the red coagulated substance. They stuck, morphing his face into that of a monster. Garth was gone. That lone thought dominated his mind with grief. He had sat there, not really comprehending, all night without sleep. Sunlight was now seeping through the ends of the large plastic tube, striking like knives into Kindle's eyes. He scurried deeper into the tunnel, finding comfort in the darkness.
~~~~
Renee had easily enlisted Jonah, he wasn't due to go to Disneyworld for another week (The Park was just getting more famous- imagineering has advanced so far) but Alexia was still asleep and they had decided to leave her. "What's going on again? I'm sorry." The boy asked, holding Renee's hand worriedly.
"His father died last night. I don't think he's told you- but his dad was a commander. Our planets were at war and… a Zephyr soldier shot him down." Her hand squeezed protectively into his.
He pulled back, then rested again and hugged her back. "We're going to find him and everything will be fine." He reassured her, not being positive himself.
"But our planets are at war. Our folks are afraid… afraid he might take it out on me or dad."
"What?" Jonah stopped, surprised. "Why would he do that?"
"Jonah, have you not been paying attention?" Renee demanded hastily. "You see how he looks at me- he was never comfortable with me around. Zephyr and Cryos have been at war for a long time. Longer than we've lived here even."
"I don't mean I didn't notice." Jonah seemed to be taken aback. "I always saw the way he looked at you. I never thought much of it though." He was sincere now.
"I'm sorry." Renee suddenly hugged him. "I'm scared though. For Kindle."
"And yourself?"
"Yeah… Myself." She looked up into his eyes, her own sparkling magnificently jade green. Her fur was warm and soft, striped black. Color spots of bluish orange ran like flowers around her irises. Jonah hugged her back.
~~~~
Kindle continued to stare out the end of the tube, focusing everything he had on the light. Something like a foot swam in front of it and he gasped. A paw. Sharpshooters. The word suddenly darted across his mind. They got Dad and now they're here they're here and they probably got mom and they're after me now. He swallowed and drew back quietly.
As if reading the alien's thoughts, the foot moved away. It was replaced by a face- but a familiar one, not helmeted with a plasma shield. Renee looked at him happily, but froze. His face was awash with blood and snot and runners of dried salt tears. He smiled trustingly, and then frowned. Something familiar stood before him, but something unwanted. The idea- the mere sight of Renee blew a cork off a fresh bottle of fury in his head. "Kindle! There you are!" She smiled charitably, as much as she wanted to be sick.
"Yeah. I'm here." He mumbled licking at his muzzle and listening to the angry wasp hum in his ears. It roared louder than ever, and a fresh bout of blood ran onto his cheeks. There wasn't much, but he felt dizzy.
"Come on out! I'm so sorry about what happened." Her voice was soft.
Kindle wormed out of the plastic tube onto the woodchip covered ground and stood his full height over his companions. Without warning he hunched over and vomited all over the ground. "Sorry…" He said, not meaning it.
"What happened to you?" Jonah asked. After what Renee had told him, he wasn't so sure if the blood on Kindle was his own or not.
"I… I cut my ears getting into the pipe. It hurt- but I'm okay. You know, head wounds." The Cryosian smiled wanly, again not meaning it. They didn't need to know, he didn't need to go to the hospital, he could handle this. Without the Zephyr girl's help.